I’m 14 and I want to earn a bachelor’s degree by 18 for $10,000. Here’s how I’m doing it:
Scott Young, creator of the MIT Challenge said that keeping a weekly blog helped him stay accountable/keep on track to finish a 4-year MIT CS degree in a year. And that’s what this blog post is about: my journey to a bachelor’s degree by 18, week by week.
Obviously, I have a much less formidable challenge – finish a 4-year-degree in…4 years.
The only difference: I’m homeschooled and a freshman in high school.
Where did I get this idea?
My parents and I got this idea from Joshua Sheats, – accomplished financial planner turned podcaster. I emailed him for advice about whether I should go to public school or stay homeschooled and that turned into a giant show with advice for a 13-year-old student (me!). The biggest takeaway: tons of people your age have earned their degree by 18 and you should too.
Get it done by 18 for $10k or less.
And here’s the thing: the first two years of college today are quite similar to a decently rigorous high school program.
I’m working towards doing this by taking CLEP and DSST exams and online courses from an accredited university like Charter Oak State College.
Where am I right now?
I’ve been at this for a year or so and I have 24 out of the necessary 120 credits. I started several months early (13.5 and in the middle of 8th grade) so I’m on track at this point.
I’ve taken: Principles of Marketing, Principles of Management, Analyzing and Interpreting Literature, Intro Psychology, Intro Sociology, History of the US I, History of the US II, and Western Civilization I and I’m in the middle of studying for Western Civilization II, Biology, and College Algebra.
Here’s how the day-to-day looks like:
I study for one class at a time (not including math/reading which I do on the side). Each class fits somewhere in my degree plan. And I study by reading the CLEP-recommended textbooks, taking the ModernStates.org courses, and studying the IC cards. I study an average of 5-6 hours a day. My biggest influences for how to study efficiently are Cal Newport and Scott Young.
What’s the plan for this blog?
Each Monday I’ll post what I did the previous week and what I’m learning. And every month or so, I’ll post my specific exam tips/study guides. That content is exclusive to my newsletter. If you’d like to join in, click here for free study guides, CLEP tips, and updates on my journey.
I’m excited to have you join me!
Zach
Bachelors by 18 